Election 2012 in New Mexico

KUNM Call In Show Thu. 10/25 8a: Who are Hispanic and Latino voters going to vote for in New Mexico? And what are the issues of greatest concern to these populations? This week on the KUNM Call In Show we'll discuss these voters and what recent reporting and polls are showing about voting preferences. We'd like to hear from you! Email callinshow@kunm.org, post your comments online below, or call in live during the show.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New voter registration figures show the number of New Mexicans eligible to vote has increased about 5 percent since the last presidential election and independent voters grew the fastest.

The secretary of state's office reported Monday that nearly 1.3 million people are registered to vote in the Nov. 6 general election.

The numbers of voters who are unaffiliated with a political party — so-called independents — increased by 22 percent since Oct. 31, 2008.

KUNM Call In Show Thu. 10/18 8a: There's less than two weeks left until election day. Today we'll be discussing recent updates on local candidates and campaigns. E-mail your questions to callinshow@kunm.org or post a comment in our comment section below.

Brianne Bigej has been really busy the past few years. She just finished law school at the University of New Mexico. Her partner, Eric Tomala is an academic advisor at UNM. He started a doctoral program in the Sociology department this fall. After work and school, Brianne and Eric try to squeeze in some time for fixing up a house they bought in Albuquerque in 2009.

BRIANNE: with all home projects, you have to have time and money…three years out will still have little bits and pieces left…laughing….

A new poll of Latinos in New Mexico shows that potential voters are concerned about the economy and immigration policy this year.

Latino Decisions, a national organization, conducted the poll of 400 registered Latino voters in New Mexico.

Voters were also asked whether they support the New Mexico policy of grating driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. Republican Governor Susana Martinez has pushed to repeal it since taking office two years ago. She says it’s a public safety issue.

Next in our Voices Behind the Vote series, we go to Texico, New Mexico, near the border with Texas.Rita Daniels: On a drizzly afternoon, I'm making my way into Texico, New Mexico, 16 miles east of Clovis, seeing signs for Romney/Ryan; no Obama signs out here.On a drizzly afternoon, I met Mark and Twilla KossTwilla Koss: I'm Twilla KossMark Koss: Mark Koss

Journalist Maria Hinajosa is host of NPR's Latino USA. She's also the first Latina to anchor and produce PBS news content. Need to Know- America By the Numbers: Clarkston Georgia looks at the growing ethnic and racial diversity in a town that was once overwhelmingly white. Hinajosa says she's looking forward to hearing what viewers think about the content of the program, which explores the new American electorate. She says the families featured in the program display a complexity of political perspectives that challenges stereotypes.

KUNM Call In Show Thu. 10/11 8a: Do you need a photo ID to vote in the general election this year? When do early voting centers open in your community? Will there be long lines at the polls on Election Day? We'll take your questions and calls. Email callinshow@kunm.org, post your comments online, or call in live during the show.

If it’s a school day, chances are you’ll find crossing guard Tony Orosco manning his post on the corner of Lomas and Edith, keeping a keen eye out for school zone speeders. Armed with a small stop sign, a day-glow orange vest and one very loud whistle. Tony does his best to remind drivers to slow down when passing Longfellow Elementary School.

Tony and his fellow crossing guards are an essential part of a safe commute for many young students here, because this section of Lomas is 6 lanes wide and that 15 mile an hour speed limit is not always observed.

Third-party candidates Gary Johnson and Virgil Goode are blips in the presidential race, but even that might make them a big deal.

Democratic President Barack Obama's campaign quietly has been keeping track of the two former Republican officeholders who could prove pivotal in key states where he and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are in a tight race.

Johnson is a former New Mexico governor running as the Libertarian Party nominee. Goode is a conservative ex-congressman from Virginia competing as the Constitution Party candidate.

Absentee voting begins Oct. 9, and people can go to their county clerk's office to cast a ballot in person. Voter registration also ends then, making it possible for New Mexicans to register and vote on that same day.

Early voting starts Oct. 20 at alternate polling locations established by the clerks and continues through Nov. 3.

Election Day is Nov. 6 and that's also the deadline for returning absentee ballots.

A new statewide poll commissioned by The Albuquerque Journal shows more than half of the state's voters back expanding the state's Medicaid rolls to cover 170,000 low-income residents.

The Journal poll found that 53 percent of likely voters surveyed back boosting eligibility to allow low-income children, seniors, pregnant women and the disabled sign up for the federal-state health insurance program.

KUNM Call In Show 8/16 8a: Secretary of State Dianna Duran is following through on a U.S. Department of Justice letter calling for New Mexico's record of registered voters to be cleaned up for the first time since 2005. But critics are accusing her of voter suppression. Why the voter roll "purge" now? And what does it mean for New Mexico voters? Secretary Duran will join our panel live in the studio for the show.

Thu. 3/1 8a: Is the Public Regulation Commission in trouble? It regulates telecommunications, utilities, insurance, and a host of other industries and agencies in New Mexico. Will measures passed this legislative session resolve the issues you see at the PRC?

We'd like to hear from you! Call in live 277-5866 or toll free 877-899-5866 or email callinshow@kunm.org. You can also leave comments online.

A year ahead of the 2012 presidential election both Democrats and Republicans are competing for Hispanic votes. In states like Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona the Hispanic vote could tip the scale in favor of one party over the other. Yesterday White House officials went to Las Cruces to hold a community summit aimed at Hispanics. From the Fronteras Changing America Desk, Monica Ortiz Uribe reports many voters in that area are still undecided.

Hundreds of Hispanic Republicans are gathering today in Albuquerque hoping to build momentum ahead of next year's presidential election. As Monica Ortiz Uribe reports from the Fronteras Changing America Desk, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanic voters in the country.